Sunday School Lesson - 1 Thess. 2:13-20 - SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in 1 Thess. 2:1-12, we heard the apostle Paul defend the God-approved authenticity of his gospel ministry to the newly-founded Thessalonian church. You'll recall that after Paul and Silas were forced to leave that city, the local Jews, infuriated by the large numbers of Jewish sympathizers converted to Christianity, conducted a campaign to discredit Paul's ministry, alleging that they were crooks engaged in a scheme to get money and that their authority to speak for God was false. Responding to these charges in 2:1-8, Paul conclusively showed these new believers that: (1) he and Silas had acted truthfully and honorably in the face of strong opposition; (2) the message they gave them was the pure gospel of God, intended to please God, not them; (3) they had personally witnessed their righteous and blameless conduct toward them; and (4) how they had cared for them as a mother would care for a child. Continuing his defense in 2:9-12, Paul's asked then to simply recall how they had conducted themselves by: (1) providing their own financial support; (2) living exemplary lifestyles; and (3) like a loving father, how they had encouraged and strengthened them (i.e., made disciples) in their faith walk.
This week, in 1 Thess. 2:13-20, Paul will continue to highlight his certainty that the believers in Thessalonica had been elected (or saved) by God because they had (1) put their trust in the Word of God and (2) suffered for the sake of the gospel like the churches in Judea (vv. 13-16); next, Paul explains how his ministry to them was obstructed by Satan and finally, he expresses his strong desire to return and see them again but is unable to do so at the present time (vv. 17-20).
Read 1 Thess. 2:13 - YOU RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD
13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.
v. 13a: "For this reason we also constantly thank God" - Paul sets an example for us here by starting with praise to God in prayer. It reminds us that prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do for one another. Dr. David Jeremiah said it like this: "Prayer is the way you defeat the devil, reach the lost, restore a backslider, strengthen the saints, send missionaries out, cure the sick, accomplish the impossible, and know the will of God."
v. 13b: "that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God" - I hope you realize that his verse represents a monumental and historic turning point in NT history: Paul's claim of divine authority for his words as an apostle. As confirmed by God Himself, plus scores of Bible scholars down through the ages, Paul's apostolic teaching "really is, the word of God." This is a complete contrast to mere human words which are based upon personal opinions and contemporary thinking.
v. 13c: "which also is at work in you who believe" - Based on Timothy's report, Paul could clearly see how the word of God was actively at work in the lives of these Thessalonian believers.
Read 1 Thess. 2:14-16 - YOU ALSO ENDURED THE SAME SUFFERINGS
14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.
v. 14a: "For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea" - Previously, in 1:6, Paul praised the Thessalonians for being imitators of him and his missionary team. Here, he gives them an even higher compliment for being "imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea." - The Judean churches were the first, indisputably authentic Christian churches, and they were the mother churches of all those planted by Paul. They established the standard by which all other churches might measure themselves, what scholars often refer to as the "First Century Model." How well do we compare? Just some food for thought.
v. 14b: "for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews" - Just like the churches in Judea, the Thessalonian believers were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, and in their case, they were getting harassment from two directions: from the local Jews who resented the influence of Paul's preaching on Jews and the Gentiles sympathetic to Judaism but also from their own Gentile "countrymen"-idol-worshiping pagans who couldn't understand or tolerate the influence this new "religion" was having on many people in relation to both their character and lifestyles. As we were reminded last week, the gospel was then and is now counter-culture-utterly misunderstood by those who refuse to believe it. Even today in our own United States, secular human organizations like the ACLU are doing everything in their power to restrict or deny Christian access to public places.
v. 15: "who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people" - Before we go any further, we should understand that Paul loved his Jewish countrymen so much that he was willing to sacrifice his own salvation in order to save them (Rom. 9:1-3). Their stubborn rejection of Christ and their persecution of the church broke his heart. When he says they "are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people," he's not making an anti-Semitic accusation, but simply saying that because God intended the gospel to be made available to all people, anyone who stands in the way of it is in reality opposed to all of mankind. Is that clear? And there are still places in this world today where you could be killed for proclaiming the gospel.
v. 16: "hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully." - Scholars agree that here, Paul is specifically referring to persecution of the Thessalonian believers by the Jews in their locality. What truly infuriated these Jews was that God's (i.e., Yahweh's) salvation was being offered to Gentiles without first requiring them to become religious Jews (instructed in the Law of Moses), nor requiring them to be circumcised. Remember too, that this is at least a year after the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:2-35) had conclusively ruled that becoming a Jew was not a perquisite-that salvation was by faith alone. When Paul asserts that "they (a refer-ence to Jews in general) always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully," it could be one of several things: the Judean famine of 44-47 A.D., the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D, or even the eschatological End Times at Christ's Second Coming. Also, when Paul speaks of "they" in this verse, he is likewise referring to his time as a Pharisee who believed that all Gentiles were unclean until Christ opened his eyes and allowed him to see the truth. God had offered salvation to the Gentiles because the Jews, as a whole, had rejected Christ-the Savior of the world-as their Messiah.
Read 1 Thess. 2:17-20 - SATAN HINDERED US
17 But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for a short while-in person, not in spirit-were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 For we wanted to come to you-I, Paul, more than once-and Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
v. 17: "But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for a short while-in person, not in spirit-were all the more eager with great desire to see your face." - Because of the missionary team's abrupt and unexpected departure, along with their failure to return, Paul was worried that the Thessalonian believers might have thought that they had deliberately abandoned them. Although Timothy had probably explained what had happened during his recent visit to Thessalonica, Paul wanted to assure them that his deep feelings and pastoral concerns for them had not been diminished by time or distance. When he addresses them as "brothers and sisters," he not only recognizes them as equals, but emphasizes their connection to him through the Holy Spirit as the family of God. His expression "orphaned from you" tells them that his forced "absence" from them made him feel like a father who had been unexpectedly ripped away from his children.
v. 18: "For we wanted to come to you-I, Paul, more than once-and Satan hindered us. The text implies that Paul had originally planned to return to Thessalonica soon after he was forced to leave. Although no details are reported here or in Acts, it's obvious that Paul had been prevented from returning by circumstances beyond his control. His explanation, "Satan hindered us," is absolutely valid. If you look at all of the obstacles Paul encountered over the course of three missionary journeys, you can't simply chalk it up to random circumstances. Satan was trying to thwart Paul's efforts at every turn. But God had a plan: He allowed Paul to be immobilized, even imprisoned, to give him time to write 13 incredible epistles that went on to form the doctrinal backbone of the NT.
v. 19: " For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you?" - This verse expresses Paul's vision of presenting the Thessalonian believers to Christ at His Second coming, when they will receive the "crown of pride," which celebrates salvation's victory over sin and death. The symbolism here is Paul's often-used metaphor of an athlete finishing the race. The term, "at His coming," could variously refer to the rapture (4:15) or Christ's second coming prior to His millennial reign (Mt. 24:37; Rev. 19:11-20:6). In any case, Paul always worked from an eternal perspective, counting his earthly tribulations and sufferings as nothing compared to the "hope" of the eternal reward he looked forward to. This should remind me and you that not matter what we're dealing in this life, we have, as saved Christians, reason to rejoice every single day of our lives because know we will one day wear that imperishable crown.
v. 20: "For you are our glory and joy" - I could rephrase this verse to say: "you Thessalonian believers are the source of my success and my happiness." This tells us that a spiritual parent is much like a biological parent, based on the fact that they experience more joy over their children's successes than they do their own. Amen? Paul was so proud of what these believers had accomplished since he left them that he was near to bursting with sheer delight. Just take a minute to imagine what Paul must have experienced: he was forced to leave this newly-founded church against his will and had no earthly idea what happened to them afterward. Then many months later, he sends Timothy to discover if they still exist, only to find out that they not only survived but have grown exponentially and have ventured outward to spread the gospel all over Macedonia and Greece. Wow! And I suspect that when Paul heard Timothy's report, he fell on his face and thanked God for it.
APPLICATION:
1. Paul's words to the Thessalonians were the Word of God. Paul's spoken and written words for the cause of the gospel are considered to be "canon," which is a technical term that simply means they were inspired by God. Words proven to be inspired by centuries of the Biblical scholarship are a complete contrast to secular human words that are based upon personal opinions and contemporary social trends. By divine inspiration, Paul ultimately wrote 13 epistles and one personal letter that comprise over 31% of the NT.
2. The Thessalonian church was persecuted because it was counter-culture. In Thessalonica the gospel message was opposed by both the Jews of the local synagogue who resented the influence of Paul's preaching on Jews and the Gentiles sympathetic to Judaism and by the pagan Greek Gentiles who couldn't understand or tolerate the influence this new "religion" was having on many people in relation to both their character and lifestyles. The gospel message then and now is counter-culture because it is fundamentally misunderstood by people who refuse to believe it. Even today in our own United States, secular human organizations like the ACLU are doing everything in their power to restrict or deny Christian access to public places.
3. Any person or group who oppose the gospel are, in effect, hostile to all people. Because God intends the gospel to be made available to all of the people in this word, anyone who stands in the way of it is in reality opposed to all of mankind. Do you see that? And it's a sad fact today that there are still places in this world where you can be killed for proclaiming the gospel. Be glad that you are an American. Yes, we have our problems and have seen a rapid decline of faith over the past 70+ year, but are still free to worship as we please. Be thankful for that. It's a treasure.
4. Paul's sudden and unplanned separation from the Thessalonians wasn't an accident. Paul's explanation, "Satan hindered us," was right on the mark. If you look at all of the obstacles Paul encountered over the course of three missionary journeys, you can't simply chalk it up to random circumstances. Satan was trying to thwart Paul's efforts at every turn. As long as Satan remains active in this world, we face the same threat, as individuals and as a church. In fact, I'm convinced that Satan has attacked our church multiple times over the past 20+ years. And if our church keeps growing and we start baptizing new believers of all ages, he will attack us again. Like the secular human world, Satan simply wants this church to remain passive and mind our own business. Are we doing anything right now that will grab Satan's attention? Think about it, pray about it.
5. Spiritual parents are similar to biological parents. In either case, the parent experiences more joy over their children's successes than they do their own. Over the course of his missionary ministries, Paul did this over and over-and so can we. Think about the prospect of leading someone to salvation, nurturing them in the faith as a new disciple, and then finally, watching them grow into fruitful land productive Christians. You like that picture? Paul certainly did. The opportunities to do this at MHBC are all around us, right outside the doors of this church.
PRAYER: God, Our Father in heaven, we come before You this morning with humble and grateful hearts, thanking you for this good church as a place to worship and serve you and a place where we can enjoy good fellowship with one another. We thank for Brother Mike and the new life he's bringing into this church, and I pray that You will continue to empower him. Lord, as we study this Book of Thessalonians, your great apostle Paul is giving us a lot of very useful information about being better witnesses for Jesus Christ. We have a great opportunity for this next month when the church kicks off its Vacation Bible School program. We understand that we'll being dealing with a lot of families who have never belonged to a church and are really spiritually ignorant. So, Father, with that in mind, I ask that you will equip all of us to be the authentic witnesses that Paul has been talking about in this Letter, and I pray that many, many lives will be changed, children and their parents, through our combined efforts to share the gospel during the VBS program. And when You do these thing, dear God, we will be careful to give You all the credit and praise. And I ask for all these things in the powerful name of Jesus, our wonderful Savior and Redeemer, AMEN.
